Iran, I ran so far away...*

Obviously, the State Department must be pretty desperate if it is asking me for diplomacy tips, but I will try my best to help them out.

As everyone else has mentioned, knowledge of Iranian culture is key. It would be unproductive to negotiate with Iran without an in-depth look at their society. The State Department should send diplomats who have lived in Iran and speak persian. It would also be important to learn the history of Iran, its relationship with the United States, and its realtionship with surrounding nations. A quick look at their current political priorites couldn't hurt either.

In class we've talked a lot about different views of time. Here in the United States we are more of a monochronic culture. Events happen one after another, and time can be spent, saved and wasted. The opposite of this is polychronic, where time is viewed more cyclically; things can happen at the same time and using time efficiently is not a goal. I am not sure on which end of the spectrum Iran falls, but I would hope the State Department does before they start negotiations. According to our book, many a business meeting has been ruined by differences between polychornic and monochronic time.

Also, it takes more than speaking the native language to be able to communicate effectively. As we learned from Martin and Nakayama (and in class), nonverbals are just as important as verbals. I don't know any specifics of Iranian communication, but I know that it would be crucial to look into certain areas. One of the biggest differences in nonverbals across cutlures is space. The amount of space between two people who are speaking varies from country to country, region to region, etc. For example, in the United States, people are accustomed to having a"bubble". Taking the initiative to sit next to someone on an empty bus is considered odd (i.e. creepy) behavior. In Nicaragua, where a space bubble is uncommon, such distance could be considered rude. There are other nonverbals that could affect communication, such as eye contact, certain body language, symbols, as well as a speaker's appearance (such as their clothing, hair style, etc.).

The way in which you speak also makes a big difference. I don't remember where I heard this story, but I think/hope it might have been in class. Before the Gulf war, when President Bush sent someone (I forget now who it was, secretary of state maybe?) to have diplomatic talks with Saddam Hussein, their mannerisms prevented them from understanding each other. This Person Sent By The President spoke very calmly and directly when he threatened Iraq with military action. To Sadam Hussien, this meant that he was not serious. If he had been more over-the-top, there may never have been a Gulf War. My forgetfullness kind of ruined that story but the lesson holds true.

I guess the best piece of advice is to know your audience. The State Department should not go into negotiations as if they are speaking to the U.S. With everything they say, they should know that Iran is their audience.

*SNL anybody?